President Pöttering on the outcome of the EU Summit

  European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering has welcomed the result of the EU summit as an important step towards the necessary reform of the European Union. An agreement had been reached after long and difficult negotiations and it had been possible to avoid a crisis in the European Union. He also expressed his gratitude to Chancellor Angela Merkel, as President of the European Council, who plaid the crucial role in making this agreement possible.

Hans-Gert Pöttering said: "This compromise makes possible the reforms necessary for more democracy and efficiency in the European Union. On this basis, the new Treaty will reinforce significantly the European Parliament and thereby enhance democracy in the European Union. The fundamental rights which the European Parliament has always defended as a core element of the Constitutional Treaty will become legally binding. The main principles defended by the European Parliament will become a reality with this treaty reform. The German Presidency has been successful in reaching a compromise in an extremely difficult situation. Despite all the difficulties, the European Union has proved its political will to face together the challenges of the future."

Hans-Gert Pöttering said that he regrets that the introduction of double-majority voting in the Council has been postponed, even if this was inevitable part of reaching a compromise. On the positive side, he welcomes the fact that the European Parliament will have three representatives at the Intergovernmental Conference and that the agreed timetable provides for ratification of the new Treaty before the European elections in 2009.

Hans-Gert Pöttering also commented that the excellent cooperation between the Presidency of the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission in recent months, with a view to reaching a positive outcome on the new Treaty, had been a positive political experience.

Reproduced with the permission of the European Parliament